Christianity and Patriotism
of superstition: and they prayed without ceasing. The cardinals and the bishops prescribed special prayers everywhere, and they themselves made use of the strangest prayers. Thus a bishop at Toulon on the occasion of launching an ironclad prayed to God for peace, while making it felt, however, that if something happened he could appeal to God for war also.
"What will be its destiny," said the bishop speaking of the newly launched ironclad, "only God knows; whether it will vomit death from its terrifying entrails—there is no telling. But if, after calling to-day upon the God of peace, we have hereafter to call upon the God of strife, our faith is firm that this ship will go to meet the foe hand-in-hand with the mighty vessels the crews of which have to-day entered into such close brotherly alliance with ours. But may we escape this alternative, and may the present celebration leave only a peaceful memory like the memory of the Grand Duke Constantine (the Grand Duke was at Toulon in 1857), who was present here at the launching of the ship Quirinal, and may the friendship of France and Russia make of the two nations the guardians of peace. …"
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of telegrams were flying from Russia to France and from France to Russia. French women sent greetings to Russian women. Russian women expressed their gratitude to French women.
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